Method of loading freight cars



W. LESLIE LOADING FREIGHT CARS April 17, 1928.

METHOD Filed July17. 1926 Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN w. tns'mn, or nvans'roiv, ILLINOIS, nssrsnoa'ro CONSOLIDATED STEEL stumrme COMPANY, or CHICAGO, rumors, A eonroim'rron or DELAWARE.

METHOD OF LOADING FREIGHT CARS.

Application filed July 17, 1926. Serial No. 123,244.

My invention relates to improved methods of loading freight cars with cargosuch as barrels and similar containers. It pertains more'particularly toa method for dissipating the energy due cargo when the car isjarred or suddenly brought to a stop.

It is the objectof'my invention to overcome the difliculties experienced in safely transporting barrels and similar containers by the provision of a method whereby the tendency of the cargo' to slide along the floor of the car and smash into the end bulkheads is eliminated.

Other objects. will appear from-the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical sectional view of the car, showing a plurality of containers such as barrels loaded therein.

Fig. 2 is aKVertical section of a car taken substantially on the plane represented by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view showing the posttions of several barrels when the car in which they are loaded has been suddenly stopped, and illustrates how the energy of momentum is taken up by a strap which is bound about the containers.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a buffer; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the buffer taken upon a plane represented by the line 55 of Fig. 4.

In loading a plurality of objects, such as loaded skids, barrels or similar containers, in a freight car, damage has frequently resulted due to the fact that upon the forceful jars incident to sudden starting and stopping of the freight car, the containers have a tendency to slide along the bottom of the car and impact against the end bulkhead thereof. I

.The method of my invention consists in strapping the barrels togetherunder high tension so that the barrels are, in effect, a mechanically unified mass, and then by the provision of suitable buffer devices fixed to the end bulkhead of the car, to make this strap serve as a resilient means for absorbing the-energy of momentum which is imparted to the barrels upon sudden accelera tion or deceleration of the car.

In Figure 1, I have diagrammatically shown a box car consisting of a floor 7 having sides 8 and 9 and an end bulkhead 1-1.

to the inertia of the A plurality of barrels 12 are loaded in the car, and a tensile strap 13, preferably of steel, is passed around the barrels and suitably sealed by metallic fastening means diagrammatically shown at 14 and 15. Secured to the end bulkhead are a pair of buifers 16, which consist merely of steel lates bent in inverted U-shape having base anges 16 by which they may be secured to the bulkhead 11 by screws 17. A pair of oppositely disposed retaining ears: 18 are punched from the surface of the apex of. these bufi'ers so as to prevent the stra 13 from sliding upwardly or downwardly rom the bufi'er. H

Assuming that the bulkhead 11 is at the forward end of the car and that the car is suddenly stopped, it will be apparent that the barrels, as a unit, will tend to slide to the right (Fig. 1);. The energy resultant from this relative motion between the car and the barrels will in part be taken up by the flexing and consequent increased tension-. ing of the strap 13, as is best shown in Fig. 3. The bufiers 16 are, of course, placed in a position relative to the load so that they will not contact directly with the barrels but will, when the load shifts, fit in the interstices between adjacent barrels. The flex ion of the strap, as shown in Fig. 3, will of course, increase the tension with which it is bound about the barrels, and the energy of momentum will be dissipated in the further compression of the load as a whole. The force will thus be distributed so that each barrel in the load will take its share of the strain and no single barrel will be subjected to suflicient strain to rupture or deform it; If found necessary, the strap may be tacked or stapled to the barrels in order to prevent it from shifting its position. I When several units such as described above are loaded in a single car, I prefer to separate the binding straps 13 by spacers 19 which may consist merely ofblocks of wood 10o stapled to the straps, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,or may consist of metallic spacers having means to hold them in position relative to the straps.

In shipping smaller artlcles the car may 10! 1e spacing blocks or bufino ers. In loading larger articles, when found necessary, two or more'straps 13'may be used to secure the articles together, in which case additional buffers will of course be provided for the added straps.

I have found this method of loading very satisfactory in loading a wide range of' articles. If the articles themselves are not adapted to be strapped together in the above described manner, they may be strapped or otherwise secured to skids, such for example as are used in connection with lift trucks, and the skids then strapped together in the manner herein disclosed.

The method of my invention may also be employed in packing a plurality of articles in a crate orbox, or other receptacle in which case the bufiers will of course be placed within the interior of the receptacle, and the articles partly or wholly supported therein by the straps and buffers.

In some instances a single article may be so conformed that the described method may be used effectively in loading or packing it.

However, the greatest advantages are obtained when the articles to be shipped are relatively small and of uniform shape.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail, it will be apparent that many modificationsthereof may be readily contrived for different typesvof loads, and different conditions of usage. I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined by the claims which follow.

I claim:

1.7The method of loading containers in a vehicle which consists in strapping a plurality of containers together. so as to form a unit and providing buffer elements posi tioned so as to contact with said strap at a point where the latter is free from the containers so as to take up the energy which may be imparted through movement of the.

containers in the vehicle.

2. The method of loading containers in a vehicle which consists in securing a plurality of containers in.a unit by means of a strap passing completely around the units so as to bind them together and taking up the force exerted by the containers in their movement relative to the vehicle by means of buffers positioned between the walls of the vehicle and contacting with said strap.

3. The method of dissipating the shock V consisting of'a plurality of elements, a bindresultant upon sudden acceleration or deceleration of a vehicle upon its cargo which consists in binding the elements of a cargo by means ofa strap and providing abutments arranged to engage the strap so as to increase its tension upon shifting of the cargo,

relative to the vehicle.

4:. .In combination, a freight car-having an end bulkhead, a cargo loaded therein, said meaaie ers loaded within said car, a strap passing around a plurality of said containers binding them tightly together, and buffer means positioned between the wall of said car and said strap-to exert a transverse pressure upon the strap when the containers move relative tothe car, said pressure resulting in eXerting increased tension upon the strap so as to dissipate the energy necessary to prevent continued movement of the containers relative to the car by distributing it through increased pressure upon each'of the containers of the group.

6. In combination, a walled vehicle body, a cargo consisting of a plurality of elements, binding means to secure said elements in unitary groups and buffer means interposed between said groups and between said groups and the walls of said vehicle and engaging 'said binding means to prevent shifting of said cargo.

7. In combination, a walled receptacle, a plurality of articles contained therein, straps for binding said articles into unitary groups, and means engaging said straps for spacing said groups from each other and from the walls of said receptacle.

8. The method of packing a plurality ofi articles in a walled receptacle which consists in securing straps around a plurality of said articles, to form unitary groups, and-separating said groups by buffer elements which engage said straps and separate said groups from each other and from the Walls of the V receptacle.

9. In combinatioma vehicle body, acargo consisting of a plurality of elements. binding straps under tension to secure said elements in unitary groups, and stationary buffer means engaging with the binding straps to flex the straps and increase the tension thereof upon shifting of the unitarygroups.

10. In combination, a' vehicle body, a cargo ing strap under tension to'se cure said elements in a unitary group, and a stationary buffer engaging with the strap to flex the strap and increase the tension thereof upon shiftingof the unitary group.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 10th day of July, 1926.

JOHN W. LESLIE. 

